The Squire and the Knight. [Griffin]

[Markus Andres]

51st of Fall. 510 AV. Markus' tall and muscular frame stood against a stone pillar. He was resting, for he had been swinging his blade for many bells and he had been raising and lowering his heavy steel shield for even longer. So, he was getting some needed some rest before he continued to the more, combat related activities. Markus wasn't sure what was in store for him that day. His training schedule often changed from time to time, giving him very diverse sparring-opponents. Thus, inspiring Markus to grow in terms of mind and body. But Markus was soon unable to stand still anymore. He dropped to the ground. Spread his arms out a bit farther than his shoulder distance, and began to do some push ups. His equipment was lying nearby. He pushed himself up. The blade was lying in it's scabbard. This was his own blade. Often only used when Markus practiced swings and the likes, rarely used when sparring with other people, as it was not dull. Markus slowly lowered himself. Feeling his arm muscles soften up the further he got down. Close to his own blade, was a blade of the same size and weight, roughly, this was the kind he used when sparring. It had a dull edge and the tip was not as pointy as it probably once had been. That way the risk of being accidentally sliced or stabbed to death, had been severely reduced. Markus pushed himself up again. Standing against the wall, was his steel shield. Once again, not his own, but this one was the real deal. Since shields rarely needed to be outfitted for sparring purposes, Markus had given a shield anyone could have been given during a war or a fight. He liked that about the shield, it even looked like it had been used in a fight, for it had a dent going across the front. Markus slowly lowered himself. Already feeling tired and feeling like his arms couldn't handle it any longer. He forced himself up a third time. Normally, Markus would do many push ups like this, but the reason for his lack of strength today, stemmed from the fact that he wasn't only pushing himself up. For his body was covered in plate mail. Making it many times harder to push his own body up. Markus slid his legs up, so he was resting on his knees. From there, it would be easier to get up on his feet again, rather than if he was lying on his stomach. Once he stood up, he fell back, so he was resting against the stone pillar again. Still waiting for someone to spar against, by this time, he would probably ask the first person who entered the training area.

[John Griffin]

John strode into the training room intent on getting a good work out. Unfortunately, he didn't have a training partner today, but he was determined not to let that keep him from a good session. He had dozens of drills he could do, after all. All he needed was to stay motivated, something made much harder without an opponent. The young knight was wearing his full plate armor this afternoon, a rare thing. Normally he opted for a studded leather jerkin, but normally he had a sparring partner. But he had to be fit enough to fight in plate, and that meant training in it. His longsword hung from the belt at his waist, cinching down the white tabard of the Syliran Knights. Fastened to the left shoulder of the tabbard was his rank pin, a small device depicting a sword.

In one hand was his shield, a large steel heater, knicked and scraped from use. In the other, just in case he found a partner, he had brought his blunted training swords, but he wasn't very hopeful in that regard. John looked around, noting the presence of several other men and women, some in pairs or more, some by themselves. Maybe one of them would do? There was a particularly promising individual also in plate, but it seemed he was just lounging around, probably waiting for someone else. John sighed. He'd just have to make do, as he had planned. He made his was to an open area and set down the blunted training swords. With a flash of movement he jerked his blade from its scabbard with a gauntleted hand, and began slash, thrusting, blocking and parrying with an imaginary opponent, running through drills that his mentor, William Erindale, had ground into him for five years.

[Markus Andres]

Markus got distracted soon after pledging to himself that he would fight the first person who entered. He saw some other fight. So he didn't notice the knight who entered the training area. It was first when his eyes returned to the area he had been looking at before, that he saw the new person. He looked to be at the same age as Markus, but the insignia told Markus that this guy was of a higher rank than he. This was a knight and he certainly knew how to wield his sword. Markus would be hard pressed to defeat this guy. But then again, that was when Markus learned the most, when he was fighting opponents outside his own league. Markus smiled briefly as he crouched down and grabbed the edge of his steel heater shield with his right and then slid his left arm into the strappings so he had a good grip on the shield. He grabbed his dull training blade and entered the ring. Making sure that the knight saw him approach him. Not wanting to have that training blade swung at him by accident. "Hello Ser, would you partake in a sparring duel?" Markus said, overly formal in his tone of voice. After all, this knight could take offense to anything less, and he really wanted to spar with this guy.

[John Griffin]

OOCSorry for the super late response, been having trouble finding motivation to write...

John was in the middle of a drill when another man approached, also garbed in full plate. The young knight pulled his blow short, and relaxed, evaluating the newcomer. He couldn't spot any rank pin, so he was probably a squire, but you never knew. Sometimes the pin was forgotten, or hard to spot, especially if they weren't wearing a cloak. But many knights wore tabards over their armor, so it usually wasn't a big deal, they simply pinned their rank onto its hem.

The stranger spoke, requesting a sparring match, and John couldn't help but smile beneath the steel of his helmet. Fate had smiled on him, and provided him with a training partner.

"I would be glad to, if you'll allow me just a moment to prepare." He sheathed his sword, and managed to fiddle the sword belt off from around his waist, no easy task wearing metal gauntlets. He set it down off to the side near the training swords, then pulled his tabard off. No sense in tearing it while sparring, it would just create the need to pointless needlework. John snatched up one of his own training swords and gave it a few test swings before moving back to the center of the ring.

Hefting his shield up to his shoulder and crouching slightly into an attack position, he said, "I'm ready when you are."

[Markus Andres]

Markus nodded to the knight when he said he needed a moment to prepare. Markus just observed him as he removed the tabard. Just as John gave his practice sword a few training swings, Markus did the same with his own blade. Getting the feel and weight of it into his system. It was a simple bastard sword. The only exception was that the edges were dull, so was the tip. Making it extra hard to inflict damage on one another. Not that, it wasn't hard enough already. They were covered from top to toe with steel. "Good, let's begin then." - If he was a knight, he was probably better trained and lived up to the expectations of a knight. Thus, Markus would have to be careful in the battle. As he would in any battle with both squires and knights. He stepped in and stood in front of the knight. Giving it a moment's thought before stepping in closer, and stabbed at his right shoulder. Testing his defense and reflexes. Keeping his shield ready for a counter attack.

[John Griffin]

John nodded curtly as the other...knight? squire? man responded and moved into sparring distance. John steeled himself for a fierce round of battering, and moved into action as his opponent thrust at the shoulder of his sword arm. He didn't want to impair his own vision by blocking with his shield, so John opted for a parry instead. Nothing fancy, just an inside to outside parry, knocking the other man's thrust wide. He didn't know his opponent's capabilities yet, so he thought it prudent for a few feeler attacks before really getting into it, especially since his opponent definitely had reach on him, and probably strength as well. John would have to rely on speed against this one. Just like always.

The young knight followed up his parry with a low slash, swinging his weapon around in a tight circle and bringing it racing down towards the taller man's left knee.

[Markus Andres]

'Damn!' Markus thought when he saw the quick counter by the knight. The man was fast. the blade, swift. Markus dropped a little with his left side, the shielded side. The shield went down quickly. Barely intercepting the blade, but when he heard the metalic clang from the sword hitting his shield, then he knew he had intercepted the attack and could breathe easier. It was his time to counter, his time to attack. It was Markus' preferred discipline. Attacking. He might have learned to favor the shield, but never as a defensive weapon. Markus always tried to use the shield as an offensive weapon too. 'Come on, a plan. A plan - gimme a plan - No - forget a plan - Just GO!' Markus' sword came swinging in, in a tight rising arc. Aimed at the side of the knight's helmet. Intending to give the knight a good whack upon his armor. From that position and using a blunt sword with 1 hand, Markus could never hope to break through the tough steel that the helmet was made of, but he knew from personal experience, that the noise such a strike would create, would be enough for Markus.

[John Griffin]

First attacks almost always fail. John's mentor taught him that long ago. There must be a vast disparity in skill, or some overarching circumstance heavily beneficial to one combatant for them to get the drop so much on an opponent for the first attack to work. As such, it no longer fazed him like it did when he was young that an attack might fail. Attacks did so, with regularity. It was part of combat. But the longer a fight went on, the higher the chance of success for the more skillful, enduring party.

His opponent's second attack again came from John's sword side. The young knight decided he had to get his shield in the match, or he would lose. Watch his shield, counter-attack quickly or you'll be vulnerable to a bull rush. He's bigger than you.

What was new about that? Everyone seemed to be bigger than John. He twisted to get his shield in line to deflect the attack. Thrusting in downward, awkwardly, he managed to stop the tourney sword with a loud clang, and a tingling feeling in his arm from vibration. Unfortunately, the position he found himself in was not ideal for a counter-attack with his sword. Instead, John opted to use his shield, and try to nullify his opponent's shield, at least for the moment. He knew the other man was stronger, but there was something to be said for the element of surprise. He only hoped he had it.

Stepping forward with his left leg, lifted his shield and put his shoulder into it, ramming his shield towards his opponent's, his body weight behind it.

[Markus Andres]

Markus had mixed feelings about seeing his blade getting blocked. The negative feelings were derived from the fact that his attack had failed, but it was positive that he had found someone to spar with, who knew how to use his shield. Markus blade was knocked aside. Markus was quick to try and bring it back so he could use it again. That was when he saw the response from the other knight. Something Markus found very. VERY. Familiar. The pressure on his shield. His left side of body seemed to just relax when the shield hit his shield. Markus' left side gave away to the shield. But, it wasn't weakness or surprise that made his body give away. It was a thing Markus had been training. Ever since Richard had used his shield against him. Markus had stepped back with his left leg and spun his body with the pressure on the shield. Like those machines where you whacked the shield, the other side would come swinging around to whack you in the side of the head if you didn't have your shield held high. The concept Markus used here was pretty similar to that. The whole idea was, naturally, that if the knight had put his weight into the push, and Markus just gave away with no resistance at all - that he would lose his balance and thus stumble past Markus. - Should that happen, Markus would, like that machine, turn and knock the knight in the back of his head with the pommel of his sword. - The disadvantage with a sword like Markus' was that, at this range, they were too big to deliver a real strike. - Hence, the reason Markus used the pommel of his blade. Should the knight stumble forward after the pommel strike - creating some distance - Markus wouldn't be shy of taking a swing or two at his backside.

[John Griffin]

The surge of adrenaline from success coursed through John, as he pushed his opponent back with his shield. That was before he realized that he hadn't actually been successful. His opponent was a clever one, and had simply rolled his body to the side and let John plow through. A deception, and one that had worked. Luckily for John, he hadn't thrown himself into the blow with wild abandon, only put his body and legs into it. As such, he didn't careen past his opponent out of control. Realizing surely that a blade was following him, John dropped down and raised his shield up, over his head, in case the blow was a chop instead of a slice or thrust. He pivoted quickly to face his enemy and took a knee, bringing his own blade in a nearly blind sweeping slice.